Iraq's Long, Winding Supply Lines

There's more to the Army's energy efficiency plan than inflatable domes. The service's Rapid Equipping Force is also working on more traditional green-friendly initiatives, like the portable hybrid solar/wind power plants,
"urgently" requested from commanders in Iraq -- but negged by the Joint Chiefs. The machines also expected to be sent to Central Command, Inside Defense reports.

*Wind power doesn’t always seem cost-efficient, Nolan explained. A 500 kilowatt wind turbine yields costs of 21 cents per kilowatt hour, far more than the average of about 9 cents per kilowatt hour derived from an electrical power grid in the United States.
*

But the cost of [protecting convoys when] transporting fuel can make wind power far more attractive, he said.

Check out the logistical nightmare of dragging all that fuel into Iraq. Imagine how hard it must be, to defend those long, long convoy routes. No wonder the stuff can cost as much as $400 per gallon on the battlefield.